Tax trade body warns EU over tobacco track and trace plans

The International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) has warned that there are “failings and loopholes” in EU plans for tobacco security.

The organisation is concerned over the implementation of the track and trace and security feature requirements of the EU Tobacco Products Directive.

It claimed that the draft legislation gives no guarantee of independence from the tobacco industry and that it does not provide strong authentication tools to controllers and consumers.

Juan Yañez, chair of ITSA, will highlight the group’s concerns to MEPs. He said that manufacturers could “manipulate” the unique identifier for track and trace purposes, by being able to print it onto the cigarette packs themselves or even not print it at all.

He added: “We believe that only an interdependent combination of visual authentication and track and trace technologies, composed of both physical and digital features produced by an independent third party, and where the only intervention by tobacco producers consists of applying the features to the product, can effectively meet the needs of both the WHO FCTC Protocol and the EU Tobacco Products Directive.”